Electrosonic installs multiple videowalls at Atlanta airport centre

The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), with AV support from Electrosonic has opened a new welcome centre at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) with four Samsung 4K videowalls.

Located adjacent to the domestic baggage claim and local transportation at what is the world’s busiest airport, the welcome centre offers greater accessibility and more visibility to passengers arriving in Atlanta.

“The ACVB had a small booth with overhead monitors before. This is a much larger space with new display solutions that really pop,” said Tom Rowat, project manager for Electrosonic. “Everyone coming to baggage claim or connecting with ground transportation is going to see it.”

“Tom and his team provided top-notch service and design from the onset of the project,” added J. Andrew Green, content creator at Green Media Works in Atlanta, who were also hired by the ACVB to provide original content for many of the displays. “The system Electrosonic installed provided exactly what was wanted: It’s simple to use, very powerful and it just works!”

Electrosonic installed four videowalls in the welcome centre using a total of 40 55in Samsung UD55E-P ultra-narrow bezel LED monitors. A 6×1 videowall tops the entrance, a pair of 3×3 walls lines the sides and a 4×4 wall fills the rear of the new centre.

“Projection wouldn’t work in this environment because of the background light level in the terminal,” explained Rowat. “In addition, these are all 24/7 displays and lamp replacement would have been expensive, so we opted for a solution featuring Samsung and BrightSign products. Samsung is on the leading edge of 4K displays, and the BrightSign 4K242 video players are very flexible in distributing full UHD resolution across the monitors.”

Four BrightSign 4K video players serve as sources for the four videowalls. The players are located behind each of the videowalls eliminating the need for a large equipment rack and expensive extenders. Electrosonic provided a Crestron control system whose operator interface at the site offers individual monitor control and the ability to bring up test patterns on the videowalls for colour balance and monitor alignment.

Electrosonic also designed a remote camera viewing system, featuring a 24/7 internet connection and TeamViewer app, to facilitate off-site maintenance and content updates.

“Ceiling-mounted confidence cameras are pointed toward the videowalls so if there are any technical issues, our local full-time service technicians can use TeamViewer, look at the cameras and check the network connections as if they were on the job site,” said Rowat. “Green Media Works also can use TeamViewer to upload new content and see what it looks like on the videowalls without actually being there.”

“This is a project that’s ongoing as the content grows, changes and evolves to incorporate advertising, new technologies and updated visitor information,” noted Green. “Electrosonic has been one step ahead throughout the process. Often as content providers, we’re brought in only after a system is installed. Electrosonic had a test system up and running in their Orlando facility that gave us time to familiarize ourselves with the products before installation.”